About 55% individuals over 60 years of age suffer from a chronic disease, reports wave one of the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI), released on Wednesday. Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan virtually released the field survey, which has been carried out across 35 states and Union Territories from April 2017 through December 2018.

The report says that nearly 40% of people have some form of disability and 20% have mental health issues. Around 27% of this population have multi-morbidities. This report will act as a base for devising national and state-level programs and policies for the elderly population, stated Dr Harsh Vardhan… (HT – PTI, January 7, 2021)